Successful Matriculation but Continued Exclusion: Promoting Inclusive TVET Pathways for Rural Youth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province

South Africa’s post-school education and training system continues to exclude a substantial number of young people despite improvements in matriculation outcomes and the formal expansion of educational opportunities. The exclusion is particularly pronounced among rural matriculants, many of whom are first-generation applicants who must navigate limited career guidance, unreliable digital connectivity, application costs, transport difficulties and financial uncertainty. Although Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are intended to widen participation and provide occupationally relevant education, their capacity to fulfil this mandate remains uneven in rural communities. This paper examines the potential of TVET colleges to function as inclusive educational spaces for rural youth who are unable to enter university education. The study is guided by the Capability Approach and the principle of spatial justice. A qualitative documentary research design was adopted, drawing on national policies, Department of Higher Education and Training reports, official statistics, peer-reviewed literature and selected media reports. The Eastern Cape Province was used as an illustrative case because of its extensive rural geography, dispersed settlements and persistent socio-economic inequalities. The findings reveal that passing matric does not necessarily provide rural youth with a genuine opportunity to participate in post-school education. Exclusion is reproduced through fragmented school-to-college transitions, limited knowledge of vocational pathways, transport and accommodation costs, uneven campus infrastructure, inadequate student support, weak workplace linkages and uncertain articulation into higher education. The study further finds that the perception of TVET colleges as a second-best option is not simply a product of negative public attitudes. It is institutionally reinforced by unequal investment, unclear progression routes and uncertainty regarding employment outcomes. The paper concludes that TVET colleges can contribute meaningfully to rural inclusion only when access is connected to participation, completion and credible progression into employment, entrepreneurship or further learning.